The (pronounced "High Ace") is a light commercial vehicle produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. First launched in October 1967, the HiAce has since been available in a wide range of body configurations, including a minivan/MPV, minibus, panel van, crew van, pickup truck, taxi and an ambulance.
__TOC__
First generation (H10; 1967)
In the late 1960s, Toyota Auto Body, a Toyota subcontracting company, led the development of the HiAce as a small van with a design, similar to European ones at the time, but, according to former Toyota senior employee Akira Kawahara, something unseen in the Japanese industry.
Introduced in 1967, the HiAce was offered as a cab over pick-up, delivery van, and a stretched commuter vehicle. It was also called the HiAce Commercial in camper van configuration. It was brought to market two years after the introduction of the Nissan Homy, acquired by Nissan when they assumed operations of the Prince Motor Company. A few engines of different sizes were available upon introduction, ranging from the 1.35 to a 1.6-litre version. In 1975, the 1.8-litre 16R engine was added. The HiAce was available with a heater, considered a luxury item at the time.
The HiAce was primarily designed as a commuter vehicle, able to transport up to 8 people. With this goal in consideration, the HiAce exterior dimensions and engine displacement were in compliance with Japanese government regulations so as to encourage sales, and accommodate the most passengers by utilizing a cabover body style, with the engine installed underneath and between the front passengers. It was a smaller alternative to the larger Toyota Coaster minibus, and was introduced to Japan after the 1950 Volkswagen Transporter, and the 1961 Chevrolet Greenbrier cabover vans. It was introduced in the same year as the much smaller Toyota MiniAce, which was based on the Toyota Publica, a predecessor to the Toyota Corolla.
This type of HiAce is a rare model these days mostly because of weather wear and rust. HiAce vans originally sold on the European market have largely been exported to Africa and to Southeast Asia where they are used as public transport vehicles. The first generation Hiace was also sold in Indonesia beginning in August 1975 until late 1979 when the second generation was introduced.
Second generation (H11/H20/H30/H40; 1977)
The new HiAce of 1977 featured a longer, and more streamlined cab with single headlights. As the second generations dimensions grew, it was joined by a smaller, junior-level cabover van called the Toyota LiteAce to continue to offer dimensions closer to the first generation. In addition to the petrol engines, a 2.2-litre diesel engine was offered in certain markets. New for the "20–40 series" HiAce was a double-cab pick-up, super-long-wheelbase van, and a super long, high-roof Commuter. The Commuter models can seat up to 15 passengers.Automobile Guide Book 1978/1979, p. 294. The short wheelbase truck initially carried the "H11"-series chassis codes. For the vans, 20 series vans have short wheelbases, 30 series have long, and 40 series have super long wheelbases.
After the third generation was introduced in 1982, certain variants of the second generation such as the truck continued to be manufactured for several years. A majority of the second generation models were exported from Europe and Japan to African and Asian countries after production ended and are used as public transport vehicles.
Third generation (H50/H60/H70/H80/H90; 1982)
A new HiAce van was launched in 1982, with the HiAce pickup truck coming in August 1985. The truck's cab design was common to the bigger ToyoAce light truck, though it had different frontal styling. The truck was a completely different model than the van.
The van's model number contains various wheelbase specification information: 50 series vans have short wheelbases, 60 series have long, and 70 series have super long. The pickup trucks are in the 80 and 90-series. The Toyota Mobile Lounge, displayed at the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show, is based on the HiAce high-roof Commuter. While the van and Commuter were redesigned in 1989, the pickup truck was produced until the 1995 model year, and was the last HiAce based pickup truck. Air-conditioning was offered as standard equipment on some variants from this generation onwards.
In South Africa, the vehicle continued to be produced and was sold alongside the H200 Toyota Quantum (introduced in 2005) until the end of 2007 when a Taxi variant of the Quantum was introduced.
Van/Commuter/Ambulance
HiAce Wagon
HiAce Truck
Fourth generation (H100; 1989)
The fourth generation model appeared in August 1989 and was available in standard wheelbase and long wheelbase variants; a Grand Cabin; standard wheelbase and long wheelbase van; long wheelbase and super long wheelbase high roof van. The latter shares a body design with the Commuter, which is a 15-seat minibus.
A range of engines were available in the fourth-generation vehicles, ranging from 2.0-litre petrol engines to 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engines. The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine (2L-T) was updated to the electronically controlled 2L-TE in October 1990. Most versions are rear-wheel drive, but part time or full-time four-wheel-drive versions were sold depending on specification level and market. Four-wheel drive models were initially only available with the 2.8-litre 3L diesel engine in the Japanese market, but export markets received petrol options as well. The base model is typically the DX. Upmarket versions included GL, Super GL, Super Custom and Super Custom Limited models.
The facelifted fourth-generation HiAce was launched in August 1993. At this time, the new 3-litre 1KZ-TE turbodiesel replaced the 2L-TE and 3L diesels in HiAce Wagons (passenger car registration) in Japan. The HiAce received a facelift again during 1997 and once more in 2002. In Japanese-market commercial HiAces the 2.8-litre 3L engine was replaced by the larger 5L engine in August 1998, in order to meet stricter emissions standards. The 1TR-FE engine was also introduced in September 2003. Export models were available with a range of different engines to suit local importers, uses, and tax structures.
In the Philippines, the HiAce was first sold in August 1990 with a diesel engine. The vehicle got revamped in October 1994 before it was launched in 1995. It was revamped again in May 1997 for sale as both a business vehicle and as a family vehicle. The HiAce was then available in two respective variants; the business-oriented 15-seater and the family van-oriented 13-seater. In March 1999, the HiAce 3.0 Grandia and 2.0 GL petrol HiAce variants were launched, as well as the HiAce Commuter, a HiAce meant for business, and the HiAce was facelifted again in that year. In September 2000, the top-of-the-line 3.0 inline-4 diesel HiAce Super Grandia was launched. All came with a standard 5-speed manual transmission. These variants were all sold until June 2005, with the next generation being launched in June of that same year. A special edition HiAce Super Grandia J (Japan edition) was also sold together with the RAV4 J and Revo J from August 2002 to June 2003.
In the UK market, the H100 Hiace was introduced in November 1989 with either a 2.0 1RZ petrol engine developing 74 kW at 5400 rpm and 165 Nm at 2600 rpm or the 2.4L 2L-II diesel developing 57 kW at 3900 rpm and 162 Nm at 2400 rpm. A short wheelbase variant called the Hiace Compact was introduced in 1994 as a replacement for the Liteace van.
A special model intended to be used as an emergency medical vehicle known as the Toyota HiMedic, was launched in May 1992 with sales commencing from June of the same year. It used a 4.0-litre V8 engine shared with the Celsior. Production was discontinued in 1997 and replaced with Himedic based on the XH10 Granvia.
RegiusAce The HiAce was rebadged with a luxury orientation, called the Toyota RegiusAce. It was introduced in August 1999 with different versions called the Regius HiAce and Regius Touring HiAce sold at Toyopet and Vista dealerships. The RegiusAce uses a cab-over layout, where the front seat passengers sit above the front axle and the engine is beneath the floor, between the front passengers.
When the Vista sales network was replaced by the NETZ sales network, the RegiusAce was sold exclusively at the Netz Store. The H100 series RegiusAce was manufactured between 1999 and 2004.
China The HiAce (H100) also remains popular in China, where it is still produced by several Chinese vehicle manufacturers such as Jinbei Motors as the Jinbei Haise since 1991, King Long Motors since 1995 as the Golden Dragon XML6532, and the Foton View C1 since 2000. These are exported to several markets, including Chile, and are also assembled in both Egypt (by Bavarian Auto Group) and Sri Lanka (as the Micro MPV J). Common engines found in Chinese HiAce variants are the 2.0 and 2.2-litre (491Q-ME) petrol engines and the 2.8-litre 4JB1 diesel engine. A Chinese variant of the 2.4 L 2RZ-E engine is also available known as the 4RB2.
Other petrol engines such as the V19 (2 litre), 4G20C (2 litre) and the 4G22 (2.2 litre), as well as 2.5 and 2.7-litre diesel engines, have also been available in China. , the 2006 variant of the Jinbei Haise was still available for purchase with the 4G20, 4G21 and V19 petrol engines available as standard. In 2025, the Jinbei Haise was given an engine update with the 2 litre 1TZS four cylinder engine available as standard with the 5 speed manual transmission. It was sold as the Express King Short Axle Cargo, Express King Long Axle Cargo, and Express King Deluxe 10-seater. An electric version is also available as part of their New Energy series debuting alongside its Haise King counterpart.
Since its introduction, the Jinbei HiAce has spanned over six generations in which five of those were facelifts with the first occurring in 1999, two separate ones in 2002, the third in 2006 which remains the popular version to date under Jinbei, and the fourth and most recent in 2008 which was later discontinued.
Granvia, HiAce Regius, Grand HiAce, Touring HiAce (XH10, XH20)
Sold in the Japanese market between 1995 and 2002, the Granvia is a semi-bonneted van, with the front wheels positioned in front of the front seats for better safety. Available with seven- and eight-seater configurations and in rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, it is based on the regular HiAce. Because of tighter safety regulations, this model replaced the mid-engined HiAce in Europe and several other markets. The engines for Granvia are either a 2.4 L or 3.0 L diesel, or 2.7- and 3.4 L petrol. The Granvia spawned into the upmarket multi-purpose vehicles the HiAce Regius, the Grand HiAce and the Touring HiAce. The Granvia, Grand HiAce, and Touring HiAce are upmarket passenger vans only.
In Europe, the Granvia-based HiAce sold from 1995 was usually equipped with the 2.5L 2KD-FTV diesel engine in a variety of versions. The HiAce underwent a facelift in 2006, with bigger "jewel-style" headlights, and continued to be built in this form until 2012, replaced by the Toyota ProAce.